# Diarrhea from Old Pipes? Or bad Pipe Tobacco?



## rogermugs (Jun 4, 2012)

Hi Everyone,
I'm new here, but pleased to have found this. Question: I was an avid pipe smoker in college. About 8 years ago I moved overseas and left my pipes behind. About 3 months ago I got back in to it when I discovered I could buy a pipe and tobacco locally (both imported). So then about a month ago I had all my old pipes sent over by my old friend who had kept them in a box for all these years.

Lately about every other time I smoke I end up with the um... hershey's squirts. Any feeling for if this is from smoking an old pipe? Maybe just one pipe is the culprit (I haven't nailed it down yet)... or if its related to the tobacco I'm smoking (Borkum Riff - Whiskey, but also one other one which name is alluding me).

Have you ever ended up with a day or two of diarrhea because of an old pipe? I just discovered some cleaning methods online (salt and alcohol... I'll give it a try here soon).

Also, (and sort of unrelated) anyone know of a decent tobacconist that ships internationally? Borkum kinda sucks compared to what I could buy from my tobacconist back home...


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

These are the symptoms of nicotine poisoning taken from a medical journal.
Vomiting and nausea, diarrhea
Headaches
Syncope
Difficulty breathing
Pallor
Sweating
Palpitations
Lisps
Stomach pains/cramps/bloating
Seizures
Weakness
Drooling

I must be susceptible to nicotine as I drool almost every time I open one of my tupperdors or mason jars.

If you have been away from smoking for awhile, your tolerances may be low or,,, it could be the water!!


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## rogermugs (Jun 4, 2012)

Well the reason I question it being that, is about 1/2 the time I dont seem to have any problem. Thats what makes me wonder if it's one specific pipe I've used, or one specific tobacco...
it's also what leads me to ask if anyone else has experienced something similar... maybe I can narrow it down.


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## hardcz (Aug 1, 2007)

Might be the tobacco you're using, if it's high in nic or not.

A buddy of mine smokes cigars all the time, though if it's a high nic level, he's running for the bathroom, without fail.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

With BR Whiskey, it's not going to be nicotine poisoning I wouldn't think. Very mild stuff. If the other one is high Vitamin N, it would seem that it would make you puke before it gave you the trots, but it might be the culprit. Maybe it's something like Dark Birdseye. Could you have a low tolerance for propylene glycol (which I suspect is found in abundance in BRW)? It's usually *eating* it, like in ice cream, that causes people problems, ie, consuming way more than you'd get from pipe tobacco.

If you're worried about the pipes themselves, it doesn't seem very likely. Clean the stems with alcohol-soaked pipe cleaners and scrub up the stems with toothpaste and that would remove any chance of bacterial contamination, an unlikely circumstance in any case.

And it could be a coincidence. :dunno:


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## rogermugs (Jun 4, 2012)

That's actually all quite helpful. It is possible it's all just coincidence, but it's such strange runs. I never have any pain, just the runs. Don't otherwise feel sick. And in normal life I almost never have poo issues so...

Anyhow. I'll clean my pipes, salt, alcohol, and Clean out the stems real well. While I can get a bunch of things here, one funny oddity is that a pipe cleaner costs about 15 cents each. Which adds up surprisingly fast.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

How are you smokin' it? :lol:


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## Malcontent (Mar 22, 2012)

Hermit said:


> How are you smokin' it? :lol:


Just when you think you as heard it all.....wow!


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

What sort of person would think this weird thought and go on to design this thing? :ask: Kinky.


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## Andrewdk (Feb 3, 2011)

rogermugs said:


> Hi Everyone,
> I'm new here, but pleased to have found this. Question: I was an avid pipe smoker in college. About 8 years ago I moved overseas and left my pipes behind. About 3 months ago I got back in to it when I discovered I could buy a pipe and tobacco locally (both imported). So then about a month ago I had all my old pipes sent over by my old friend who had kept them in a box for all these years.
> 
> Lately about every other time I smoke I end up with the um... hershey's squirts. Any feeling for if this is from smoking an old pipe? Maybe just one pipe is the culprit (I haven't nailed it down yet)... or if its related to the tobacco I'm smoking (Borkum Riff - Whiskey, but also one other one which name is alluding me).
> ...


Sanitise your pipes, stems in bleach and alcohol treat the bowls, I wonder if something nasty has tagged along. That's your best bet to start off with, a damn good clean. Get your post count up and shoot me a PM, I'll give you some pointers on ordering from the States (aka the holy land of tobacco) if you like. And yes Borkum Riff (or Broken Ripp as one BOTL on here described it) is horrible.


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## pffintuff (Apr 20, 2011)

This is a strange thread indeed. :banghead:


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## johnb (Feb 20, 2012)

welcome to puff,
while a little unorthodox to join a forum and have your only posts about fecal matter, I commend you lol.
HOWEVER, I would recommend heading over to the new puffer fish forum and intoducing yourself,


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## Hambone1 (May 31, 2011)

Um... never had this problem for smoking..... doing my taxes .. yes.. but not smoking....


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded; I've had the runs all day after reading this last night.


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## laloin (Jun 29, 2010)

never got the ummmm runs... from smoking old tobacco. Is there such a thing as old tobacco, compared to a blend that been nicely aged. Less he's talking the little bits that get stuck on the sides of the bowl. Me thinks the bowls haven't been given a good cleaning. Have no idea why old tobacco would clean your pipes either. heh
troy


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